Review: Lounge singer Richard Cheese presents his 28th studio album and it is a heartfelt collection of melancholy saloon ballads styled after classic Frank Sinatra Capitol Records concept albums. Featuring 12 newly recorded tracks for 2024, the album pairs Cheese's sincere vocals with rich orchestrations and wistful piano and super covers along the way including Radiohead's 'Lucky,' The Offspring's 'Self Esteem,' R.E.M.'s 'South Central Rain,' Harry Styles' 'As It Was' and Lana Del Rey's 'The Greatest.' It makes for a record full of soulful, nostalgic interpretations.
Review: The man behind the Death Is Not The End label and archival NTS radio show got plenty of people talking earlier in the year when he presented the music on this record on the airwaves. It is a brilliantly authentic document of a very special time in the history of British music culture. Pirate radio was the voice of the underground, the mixing pot for the musical sounds and scenes of the time with their famous phone-ins, shout-outs and adverts all adding to the atmosphere of each broadcast. Relive it now as often as you like with this brilliantly assembled collection.
Review: Frollen Music Library is a high-quality sample library and production house specialising in live ensemble recordings and analogue production techniques. It has a creative process rooted in a love for 60s and 70s music, the foundational sounds for hip-hop sampling, so offers producers easy-to-use sample packs. Created by long-time collaborators Darvid Thor, Henry Jenkins and Hudson Whitlock who are members of Melbourne's soul scene, Frollen Music Library is a rich sound source for productions and compositions in film and television and a go-to resource for fans of artists like David Axelrod and Ennio Morricone. It also works as an evocative mental trip when listened to from back to front.
Review: Frollen Music Library is a premium sample library and production house focused on live ensemble recordings and analogue production techniques. Drawing inspiration from the 60s and 70s - which is of course - the era that shaped hip-hop sampling, it provides producers with accessible, high-quality sample packs. Founded by long-time collaborators Darvid Thor, Henry Jenkins and Hudson Whitlock who are all active members of Melbourne's soul scene, the library offers a rich collection of sounds perfect for film, television and music productions. It's an essential resource for fans of artists like David Axelrod and Ennio Morricone and also makes for a good standalone listen.
Review: Canadian composer, arranger, songwriter, and electronic music pioneer Mort Garson just keeps on giving, even now, 15 years after his death. Archival releases since have come not-so-thick-and-fast, but occasional and well thought through, with Journey to the Moon & Beyond the latest example of this. Not, as the cover and title might suggest, the score to some forgotten 1970s animated classic, but instead a collection of stuff very few will have heard before, let alone had opportunity to buy, it's really something special. On the track list, then, you'll find the soundtrack to 1974 Blaxploitation movie Black Eye, or at least part of it. Similarly splendid, but in a very different way, are the grand tones of 'Zoos of the World', originally made to accompany a 1970 National Geographic special of the same name. Then there's the music he wrote for the 1969 moon landings, as used by CBS News at the time. History bottled, or rather pressed, get it while it's fresh (and in stock).
Review: .Celebrated Polish composer Andrzej Korzynski defined prolific. The musician was behind some of his homeland's biggest musical hits of the post-World War II communist era, through to the late-1990s, while his work on soundtracks helped create some truly iconic movies from those decades, including Andrzej Wada's The Birch Wood and Man of Marble, and Andrzej Zulawski's The Devil and Possession. Tajemnica Enigmy, or Secret Enigma, represents all the other bits - work that had been presumed lost behind the Iron Curtain and socio-economic and cultural overhaul that took place following the collapse of the USSR. Recorded in studios from Warsaw to Paris, it's psychedelic rock, sublime pop, noise, avant garde, electronica and so much more, not least strange, otherworldly suspenseful stuff and funk-driven party rock 'n' roll. Quite the deep dive.
Review: This new album from Les Truffles is as delicious as the thing they are named after, and as classy too. It's a deep dive into their smoky and seductive late night instrumental funk sound. The drumming is deft and feathery, the chords like puddles of bliss and the melodies hypotonic. Sometimes there is caution in the stick work to make for an unsettling mood, at others these sounds are warm and controlling for evening relaxation. Fans of El Michels Affair and Bad Bad Not Good will surely lap up this double album on Funk Night.
Review: The fifth instalment of Dischi Fantom's Sussurra Luce series presents an expanded version of Hanne Lippard's Talk Shop. Blurring the boundaries between text, music and voice, the Berlin-based artist creates a sensory experience through repeated loops of words and sentences. Lippard draws from the digital economy's commodification of the human voice and explores themes of efficiency, stress and anonymity in both public and private life. With a dada-esque approach, Talk Shop mixes orality, textuality and repetition in intriguing ways. It makes for a striking, immersive work of conceptual art and sound poetry.
Review: Larry Manteca's Zombie Mandingo album arrived back in 2013 and in the danced plus has only ever been available digitally. Now it makes its debut on wax and remains a bold listen that was devised as a soundtrack to a non-existent exploitation film. It fuses funk, jazz, and Afrobeat influences with plenty of niche cinematic references such as the zombies in Lucio Fulci's horrors and Umberto Lenzi's cannibalistic adventures. The resulting mash up is beguiling to say the least with horror-tinged exotica next to Fela Kuti rhythms and elements of Italian Library music and colourful psychedelia. A boundary pushing work to say the least.
Review: Gianni Marchetti's 1977-78 LPs Equinox and Solstitium are truly rare gems from Italy's library music scene. Long thought lost, these tracks were unearthed from original DAT tapes and remastered for vinyl. They are loved for their ethereal, imaginative compositions as Marchetti's work blends driving rhythms, lush strings and intoxicating jazz sounds that offer a cinematic, dreamy feel. These albums, previously promotional-only and still highly coveted by collectors, now shine as part of Dialogo's initiative exploring RCA's "Original Cast" series. They lay bare the brilliance of Italian library music.
Review: This is the first-ever reissue of Gianni Marchetti's 1978 LP Solstitium, which was originally released as part of RCA's "Original Cast" series in limited promo copies and has long been considered one of the most rare and enigmatic pieces of Italian library music. Library music was primarily created for television, radio and film but often yielded hidden gems that fused jazz, lounge and soul into storytelling vignettes of sounds. Marchetti's wonderful Solstitium is a prime example of innovation within this space which rightly remains a classic in the history of Italian music.
Review: Marie Guerin, or maybe you know her as Marie de la Nuit, is a sound artist who has explored field recordings, radio archives and "hertzian ghosts" for almost a quarter of a century since her debut in 2001. Her work blends voices, textures and ambient sounds that examine sound heritage and its preservation. Transportees is an electroacoustic composition that connects archaic and electronic trance and in doing so weaves a musical thread from Brittany to Tunisia. It follows a trance-like journey through recordings and oral traditions, all rooted in Guerin's passion for archives. The album reflects her fascination with capturing and preserving songs and transforming them into a soundscape that bridges past and present.
Review: Yet more Italian soundtracks and music libraries are adoringly looked pined over. But this time - unlike the simple reissues that have come out so far this year - Frank Maston's Panorama LP seeks to emulate the era's best qualities with his own original music. Following on from similar endeavours such as 'Tulips' and its follow-up 'Darkland', Maston show off his to-a-T compositional chops, emulating only the best Italian session sounds via a commission from British library KPM.
Review: At 85, free jazz legend Joe McPhee delivers a knockout performance of spoken word improvisation paired with Mats Gustafsson's sparse yet electrifying brass work on this great new long player. This transfixing collaboration is part of Smalltown Supersound's Le Jazz Non series and captures McPhee's lifelong commitment to jazz at its freest. In 11 parts, McPhee reflects on everything from NYC's neon grit to political satire and mixes urgency with dreamlike contemplation. Gustafsson's multi-instrumental approach provides a rich backdrop that allows McPhee's dynamic phrasing to shine. This is both playful and profound.
Review: Renowned DJ and selector MURO is a Jedi-level compiler and this new collection of his delves into Victor's extensive archives to spotlight a world of Japanese jazz, fusion and AOR. It take sin plenty of internationally known names like Yasuko Agawa on the sunset sounds of 'L.A. Night', Sadistics who offers the more psyched out guitar leans of 'On the Seashore', Yuji Ohno's neo-Balaeric bliss-out 'The Dawn of Seychells' and Hiroshi Fukumura's soul soothing Ry Ayres-style melodies on 'White Clouds.' These are luxurious sounds and timeless tracks with MURO's signature funky perspective making this a brillaint choice for brighter, warmer days.
Review: De Wolfe Music Library is reissuing Keith Papworth's 1975 album which will be music to the ears - pun intended - of record diggers who probably thought they might never own a copy of this grail. His masterpiece is perfectly entitled and is defined by super hard hitting drums and high action hits. The minimalist sounds and heavy grooves have funk deep in their bones, and extra theatre comes from the whistles, natty basslines and big riffing guitars. Papworth not only wrote for this label but also has music featured in Monty Python skits and movies. This, though, is his standout work.
Jackie Mittoo & The Soul Brothers - "James Bond" (2:59)
The Skatalites - "Dick Tracy" (2:43)
The Soul Brothers - "James Bond Girl" (2:58)
The Skatalites - "Guns Of Navarone" (3:14)
Roland Alphonso & The Studio One Orchestra - "From Russian With Love" (4:19)
The Soul Brothers - "Thunderball" (3:19)
Jackie Mittoo - "Hang 'Em High" (3:51)
The Soul Brothers - "Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" (3:13)
The Soul Brothers - "007" (3:14)
Lee Perry & The Wailers - "Pussy Galore" (2:49)
The Soul Brothers - "Mr Flint" (2:44)
The Skatalites - "Ball Of Fire" (3:09)
The Soul Brothers - "James Bond Danger Man" (2:11)
The Soul Brothers - "Lawman" (3:12)
The Skatalites - "Black Orpheus" (2:56)
The Skatalites - "Exodus" (2:51)
The Skatalites - "Dr Kildare" (2:31)
The Soul Brothers - "Fiddler On The Roof" (2:32)
Review: If you assumed it was possible to live without a ska version of the James Bond theme tune then prepare to be taught one of life's great lessons. Assumption is the mother of all f**k ups, basically. Fear not, though, what was a one-off pressing by Soul Jazz for Record Store Day in 2020 is once again available, only this time on gatefold LP rather than five 7" singles. Perhaps not as authentic or ideal for DJs, nevertheless the contents are just as captivating. Celebrating, in part at least, the bond between Bond and the Caribbean - author Ian Fleming lived on Jamaica and several stories are set in the region, and filmed on said island (Dr No, Live & Let Die, The Man With The Golden Gun, No Time To Die) this is evocative stuff. Stick it on, kick back with a Martini, and picture yourself casing out a mark at some beachside party spot, stunning partner in hand, senses subtly on high alert.
Phongsri Woranuch - "The Farmstead Awaits You" (3:09)
Chen Yenkhae - "Poor Homeless People" (2:56)
Nanta Pitanilapalin & Naris Aree - "Love Me For A Long Time" (3:48)
Suwanna Seneewong - "Beyond Desire" (2:48)
Review: This is a wonderful collection of Phleng Thai sakon, a style of Thai popular song that fuses local and Western influences. Recorded from the end of WWII to the early 1960s, these tracks are part of the Luk krung genre which contrasts with rural Luk thung. Following the 1930s Thai cultural revolution, Western elements like jazz were incorporated into Thai music and transformed folk melodies into dances like ramwong. This compilation showcases the polished, urbanized Luk krung style, though some tracks touch on rural themes. Despite Western influences, many tracks retain strong ties to traditional Thai music and create romantic, beguiling arrangements.
Li Li Hua & Yan Hua - "A Thousand Birds Facing The Phoenix" (3:12)
Zhou Xuan - "Age Of Bloom" (2:50)
Bai Guang - "Waiting For Your Return" (3:30)
Wu Yingyin - "The Moonlight Sends My Lovesickness Across A Thousand Miles" (2:21)
Wang Renmei - "Song Of The Fishermen" (2:44)
Yao Lee & Yao Min - "Congratulations, Congratulations" (2:23)
Bai Hong - "Suzhou Nocturne" (3:11)
Zhou Xuan & Han Langen - "Mahjong Classic" (2:35)
Yao Lee - "Lovesick Tears" (3:05)
Gong Qiuxia - "The Girl By The Autumn Water" (2:40)
Yuan Meiyun - "The Most Beautiful Boy" (2:38)
Zhou Xuan & Yan Hua - "New Life Of Love" (3:03)
Yao Lee & Yao Min - "Oh Susan" (3:15)
Du Jie - "Chinese New Year Song" (3:32)
Zhang Jing, Zhou Xuan & Li Mingjian - "Bells" (3:00)
Qu Yunyun - "Simple Life" (2:48)
Liu Qi - "Tired Of Dancing" (2:59)
Bai Guang - "Expectation" (3:09)
Review: We bloody love the Death Is Not The End label. It's the sort of outlet that vinyl lovers fawn over because it only deals in fascinating sounds from lesser-known musical worlds. Enter this latest project: Shidaiqu, meaning "songs of the era," emerged in 1920s Shanghai as a fusion of Western pop, jazz, blues and Hollywood soundtracks with traditional Chinese elements. This hybrid genre shaped a golden age of Chinese popular music and film during the pre-Communist interwar period. This record anthologises shidaiqu's evolution, from Li Jinhui's pioneering 1927 song 'Drizzle' sung by his daughter Li Minghui to polished 1930s-40s works by the Seven Great Singing Stars, including Zhou Xuan and Bai Guang. A wonderful trip into the unknown.
Review: With a name like Top Series Vol. 1 you really know what to expect. A collection of cult theme tunes plucked from the annals of television history, here to satisfy the deepest nostalgia catalysed through another Member Berry binge. Spanning a vast range of genres in terms of what the shows themselves were about, and the music made to accompany them, it's pretty clear there's something here that will resonate with everyone, track list spanning the Golden Age of Broadcasting to the streaming revolution. Where else could you hope to find music from The Benny Hill Show on the same record as The Sopranos, Better Call Saul, and Stranger Things? Or Rick & Morty sharing a platform with Seinfeld, and Game of Thrones next to Quantum Leap? A celebration of stone cold classics from the 20th and 21st Century.
Review: Not to be confused with Klaus WeiB, the East Germany-born handball hero of the Summer Olympics 1972, although born in the same era, this Klaus Weiss is in fact the man who started out as a jazz drummer before expanding his remit to other instruments and genres, winding up pretty prolific in the world of movie and TV scores. As can be heard here.
While not directly linked to, taken from, or inspired by screen work, Open Space underscores (ahem) many of the same totems. It's un-rushed, yet tracks are relatively brief, not much more than interludes. Each feels similar to the next, but they clearly invoke very different emotional responses. Somewhere between synth-laden fantasy soundtracks of yore, and medieval court music, it's like going into the future only to realise civilisation has gone backwards while retaining some of its tech prowess.
Review: The fact Paesaggi is being released on Four Flies, an Italian label that has tasked itself with unearthing, or rather catching obscure soundtracks from the country's golden age before they fall into complete obscurity and off the face of the Earth, should tell you everything there is to know about this one. One of the all-time masters of film scores, Umiliani delivered the album in 1971, and it's a wonderful example of his work.
It's probably important to point out that his output leant towards the less high brow genres, including Spaghetti Westerns, and soft core sex movies. This version of the album itself, which is number three after the original in 1971 and re-release (with different sleeve) in 1980, features performances by legendary session supergroup I Marc 4, and is as wistful and beguiling as it is lounging and made to make background moods. Flutes, guitars, strings and all.
From "Attention Boils & Ghouls" To "Thick Incrustations Dying On The Surface" (LP1) (22:16)
From "These Are All My Dolls" To "brick House" (22:16)
From "Behold! Fish-Boy!" To "into The Pit" (LP2) (22:05)
From "Okay Happy Boy" To "run Run Rabbit" (22:14)
Review: In collaboration with Rob Zombie and Lionsgate, Waxwork Records proudly presents "The Words & Music of HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES, a unique double album that offers an immersive experience by featuring the complete audio from the iconic 2003 film, HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES. It comes on deluxe double LP vinyl and allows you to enjoy the entire movie in this innovative read-along format, perfect for horror and vinyl fanatics who want a different kind of thrill. The set includes new artwork by Pete Bregman, deluxe gatefold packaging, an 11"x11" 28-page booklet, printed inner sleeves, and a heavyweight character cut-out sheet to create your own scenes from the film.
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